Recap / Supernatural S01 E20 "Dead Man’s Blood"

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Recap of Supernatural
Season 1, Episode 20:

Dead Man's Blood

Dean: Sammy, come on, we can Q-and-A after we kill all the vampires.

Sam: Hey, Dad, whatever happened to that college fund?

John: Spent it on ammo.

Written by Cathryn Humphris and John Shiban.

Directed by Tony Wharmby.

Airdate: April 20, 2006.

Sam and Dean are reunited with their father in Manning, Colorado, where they encounter a nest of vampires.

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Sam and Dean travel to Manning, Colorado, after reading about the death of Daniel Elkins, whose name Dean recognizes from their dad's journal. When they arrive, they are reunited with their father and discover that the dead hunter, Daniel Elkins, was in possession of the Colt: an antique handgun forged by Samuel Colt himself, along with thirteen bullets (only a few of which remain) that, when fired from the Colt, are able to kill anything. John wants to use the Colt to kill the demon that killed Mary Winchester but, unfortunately, the Colt is now in possession of the people responsible for Elkins' death: a nest of vampires. Using the vampires' major weakness (a dead man's blood is a paralytic to them), they capture the vampire leader's girlfriend, Kate, and attempt to trade, but the leader, Luther, attacks them. During the fight, John gets his hands on the Colt and uses it to kill the leader with a shot to the head.

Body count:

For this episode = 2 humans and 3 vampires. We have the first death of a hunter, Daniel Elkins.

For the series so far = At least 138 humans; 11 ghosts; 3 vampires; 1 god; 1 rawhead; 1 shapeshifter; 1 shtriga; 1 wendigo.

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Tropes appearing in this episode:

• Arbitrary Skepticism: Dean has trouble adjusting to the idea that vampires are real.
  Dean: Vampires. Gets funnier every time I hear it.
• As the Good Book Says...: The inscription on the Colt is "Non timebo mala", which translates to "I will fear no evil". This is an excerpt from Psalm 23:4: "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me."
• The Bait: Dean when they're trying to capture a vampire.
• Big Bad: Luther, the leader of the vampire nest.
• Because I Said So
• Black Dude Dies First: Variation: a black vampire is the first one in the nest that the Winchesters kill, although he's not the first character dead.
• Blood Lust: The vampires.
• Bloody Murder: Vampires are poisoned and temporarily paralyzed by dead man's blood.
• Boom, Headshot!: See Papa Wolf.
• Calling the Old Man Out: Dean.
• Clean Cut: Beheading with one stroke.
• Continuity Nod:
  • We see Sam using the Dell Inspiron laptop sporting the logo for Cove Bikes in the diner. The laptop was previously seen in "Hook Man" (S01, E07), "Asylum" (S01, E10), "Faith" (S01, E12), "Hell House" (S01, E17) , and "Provenance" (S01, E19).
  • Dean mentions they could head east towards upstate New York, so that Sam could see Sarah Blake again.
• Daywalking Vampire
  Dean: So they're really not afraid of the sun.
  John: Direct sunlight hurts like a nasty sunburn. The only way to kill 'em is by beheading...and, yeah, they sleep during the day. Doesn't mean they won't wake up.
• Dead Man Writing:
  • Location and code for PO Box scratched into the floor.
  • Letter for JW in the post office box.
• Depleted Phlebotinum Shells: Crossbow bolts dipped in dead man's blood.
• Depraved Bisexual: Kate.
• The Dutiful Son: John doesn't seem to recognize Dean's efforts.
  John Winchester: Dean, why don't you touch up your car before you get rust. I wouldn't have given you the damn thing if I thought you were going to ruin it.
• Early-Installment Weirdness: In this episode, vampires are implied to be rare, with Dean not knowing much about them and even doubting their existence. Later in the series, vampires become one of the most common types monsters the boys face.
• Fangs Are Evil/More Teeth than the Osmond Family: The vampires have a second row of numerous retractable pointed teeth that extend beyond their human teeth.
• 555: Daniel Elkins' phone number, according to John's journal, is 970-555-0156.
• Forced into Evil: Jenny is given no choice about whether to become a vampire. She will give into the dark side, too.
• Four Bullets Left: The Colt does not have a Bottomless Magazine, making it almost Too Awesome to Use. Of the 13 bullets made by Samuel Colt, only 5 are left in the case when Elkins opens it, and one of these is used to kill Luther.
• Glowing Eyelights of Undeath: The vampires' eyes flash in the dark.
• Headbutting Heroes
• Hemo Erotic: Luther watching Kate kiss the woman.
• Holy Burns Evil: Averted Trope, as crosses do not repel vampires in Supernatural.
• Hostage for MacGuffin: John threatens to kill Kate unless Luther hands over the Colt.
• I Love the Dead: Dean says he usually draws the line at necrophilia.
• It Was with You All Along: Elkins was likely the one who first told John about the Colt, but he failed to tell John he had it in his safe while John was on his quest to kill the demon. John did not take this revelation well.
• Karma Houdini: Kate and the turned victim manage to escape.
• Killed Off for Real/We Hardly Knew Ye: Daniel Elkins.
• Kiss of the Vampire/Sweeps Week Lesbian Kiss: Between Kate and the tied up woman.
• Machete Mayhem:
  Dean: Dad, I've got an extra machete if you need one.
  John: [unsheathes a massive serrated machete] I think I'm okay. Thanks.
• Mook Horror Show: "Boo."
• Neck Lift: Kate lifts Dean by the jaw.
• The Nose Knows: Kate identified Elkins by his scent, and we later find out that once a vampire has your scent they have it for life, but the scent can be blocked by saffron, skunk cabbage, and trillium.
• Not So Extinct: John explains that he never told his sons about vampires because he thought they were extinct.
• Older Than They Look: Luther, who Kate says was born around the same time the Colt was made.
• One-Hit Kill: The Colt.
• Only Sane Man: Dean mediating between his brother and his father.
• Our Vampires Are Different: Inconvenienced but not actually damaged by sunlight, can only be killed by beheading, and are temporarily incapacitated by a dead man's blood. They mate for life.
• Papa Wolf: John does not hesitate to use his limited ammunition to save Sam's life.
• Protective Charm: A circle of salt in front of the door in Elkins' cabin is one of the first clues the brothers have that he was a hunter.
  Sam: Hey, there's salt over here, right beside the door.
  Dean: You mean "protection against demon" salt or "whoops, I spilled the popcorn" salt?
• Ransacked Room: Elkins' cabin.
• Removing the Head or Destroying the Brain: A stake to the heart will not kill vampires: they must be beheaded.
• Rustproof Blood: Elkins' blood appears like red paint on the paper Dean uses to record the impression on the floor.
• Schmuck Bait:
  • The vampire lying in the middle of the road, causing the couple in the car to stop.
  • Dean pretending to have car trouble.
• Shout-Out:
  • When Sam suggests investigating a woman in Iowa who survived a 10,000-foot fall from an airplane, Dean says, "Sounds more like That's Incredible! than Twilight Zone."
• The Straight and Arrow Path: The Winchesters use crossbows to shoot the vampires with dead man's blood.
• Superhuman Transfusion: Kate feeds her blood to the captured woman to transform her into a vampire.
• Technicolor Death: When Luther is shot by the Colt, a sigil appears on his forehead, his skeleton is apparent in an X-ray like manner, and light flashes from his body.
• Was Once a Man: The vampires.
• Was It Really Worth It?: Luther tells Kate she shouldn't have killed Elkins, despite what Elkins did to his family, because it might reveal the presence of the vampire nest to other hunters.
• The Vamp: Kate tries to seduce Dean:
  Kate: You know, we could have some fun. I always like to make new friends. [lowers him to her level and kisses him, still holding his cheeks tightly while another vampire watches, smiling]
  Dean: Sorry. I don't usually stay with a chick that long. Definitely not eternity.
• Vampire Hunter: Elkins.
• The Worf Effect: For someone hyped as an ultra-competent badass, John does need to get rescued a lot.